Metrolink Fares Could Be on the Rise

Updated 12:30 PM PDT, Wed, Jul 22, 2009

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Metrolink is considering increasing its fares by an average of 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent this year to offset rising operational costs, the agency announced Thursday.

If approved by Metrolink's Board of Directors, new fare increases would go into effect on July 1, according to an announcement posted on Metrolink's Web site.

The board will hold a public hearing to consider the proposed fare hikes on April 24 at the Southern California Association of Governments office downtown.

Metrolink commuters on average travel about 36 miles per trip, which is roughly the distance between Union Station and Upland, according to Metro's Francisco Oaxaca.

If a 5.5 percent fare increase were approved, a monthly adult pass between Union Station and Upland would rise from $211.25 to $224.50, he said.

Metrolink officials have also proposed changing the policy on subsidizing transfers. At the moment, Metrolink subsidizes the entire cost of transfers that its riders make to connecting transit systems in the counties it serves.

The combination of increasing rates by operators participating in the EZ Transit Pass program, implementation of the TAP smart card fare payment system and the installation of gates at Metro rail stations could bring an end to some of the subsidies in Los Angeles County.